Thomas Blanton, Director, National Security Archive, The George Washington University; Svetlana Savranskaya, Research Fellow, National Security Archive, The George Washington University; David Hoffman, Foreign Editor, The Washington Post

How well do we know North Korea? Amid speculation on political succession, the question of Pyongyang's nuclear intentions and capabilities, and North Korean brinkmanship, how can we be certain that the conclusions we reach about the North's intentions are sound? How do we assess the quality of our intelligence sources, given the opacity of the regime?

Europe is trying to find its place in this rapidly changing global age, just like America and the new Asian powers. What are its chances of securing its achievements of peace, stability, prosperity, and a relatively important geopolitical status? And why do many think that Europe, this part of the world that was once so mighty, now resembles a fragile old lady looking in the mirror and thinking of the good old days? Is there any truth to what these doomsayers claim?

Two new positions introduced by the Lisbon Treaty will significantly affect EU's ability to conduct foreign policy: the permanent Presidency of the European Union and the appointment of a High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Anne-Marie Le Gloannec argued that the EU's ability to formulate and execute a common foreign policy foreign remains questionable because the Lisbon Treaty "does not simplify representation; does not conjure up coherence; and does not muster will." Given these problems, she argued that Europeans should continue to develop institutions and cooperative representation outside the scope of EU institutions.

Experts & Staff

Christian F. Ostermann // Director, History and Public Policy Program; Global Europe; Cold War International History Project; North Korea Documentation Project; Nuclear Proliferation International History Project